The Fisherman
by Djali is Queen
Summary: Fishing on the hottest day of the year, Akari is interupted by Tao.


I started with Akari, I'm keeping her and the Japanese names. Inspired by a picture that I don't remember anything about.

She felt like a slow song on an acoustic guitar: low and lovely, completely in tune with the world around her. Her mind whirred slowly and softly, an old fan on a hot summer day, just a slow and easy breeze. The air around her was heavy with humidity and stuck her clothes to her body like another skin. She wanted to slip into the waters that she stood in, but resisted: there were fish to catch before she returned home, and of course, lingering at the back of her mind, the possibility of seeing the village fisherman lingered on.

Whipping the rod back to cast it again her mind slowly fell back into the flow of the river and the natural beauty of the world.

As she lashed the line forward she felt it tugging at her hands, soaring through the air above, a free bird lost to the heavens, and then, the rush as it plopped into the rushing waters of the river, a sinking thrumming pulling her arms, until the lure caught the current and the bob resurfaced, settling gracefully on the easy surface of the river, tugging slowly at her fingers. Akari smiled, letting the line slip a little further downstream before reeling it lightly in, baiting the fish like clouds in the sky.

Days like this, she decided, were her favorite. Although the heat was excruciating and the humidity made her feel like she was submerged under water her daily duties were done and all there was between her and complete nirvana was human flaw. She didn't mind the last part so much, for she was very calm and her mind floated freely along with the fish. A tug at her line lured her back into the present and she gave a little to see if the fish would bite. When it did she started her game, pulling and pushing until a slick body writhed in her fingers.

A smile fell upon her lips as she stroked the body of the creature lightly with her thumb. It was a fine catch. Maybe she would eat it later...

'That's a beautiful fish.'

Akari turned quickly, almost letting the fish go in her haste to trace the voice that had complimented her. Standing on the bank a few feet away was Tao, giving her a lopsided grin. Akari lifted the thrashing fish away from her body so that she could grab at the cuff of her shorts and make her way toward the bank where her rucksack was lumped up against a rock.

'I thought so,' she smiled, trudging through the strong currents. Her legs were strong, but she watched her way to make sure she didn't slip. The river could be tricky. 'So what are you doing here?'

When she was within reach Tao held out his hand and pulled her to shore, lessening the burden of the water. 'Thanks,' Akari said, collapsing against a tremendous boulder that lounged in the shade of a tree. She ran her hand across her brow as she submerged herself in the heat, reacquainted with its full ferocity. She gave a lofty huff and closed her eyes, absorbing the coolness of the boulder. Her bare feet flopped out before her, her toes little fish wiggling on the rocky land as her catch had only a minute or two ago. She dug her fingers beneath the earth and opened her eyes, smiling at the fisherman.

'Why aren't you at the beach, Tao? I thought I was the only one crazy enough to be out today.'

'It's a nice change,' he said, smiling softly at her as he bowed his head. 'But I am a little hot...'

'Just a little?' chuckled the girl, sitting herself up a little bit straighter. 'How can you be so nonchalant, Tao? The heat is disgusting,' she laughed, pulling her shirt from her chest and fanning herself with the fabric, 'I'm out in the sun all day and I can hardly stand it. How do you manage?'

An airy laugh floated up the river as the man slipped off his over shirt, revealing two sleek arms that Akari knew were powerful enough to bring sharks in. She had seen him without the first shirt before, but it was always somewhat of a surprise. 'There… it's a lot cooler.'

'So you're hot too.'

The man smiled but shrugged his shoulders anyway, leaning back and dipping his face into the overbearing sunlight. 'It's the hottest day this year. I think it's getting to everyone.'

Akari smiled and nodded, running her hand over her moist hair. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her catch giving one final, pathetic toss before remaining still. Maybe it was that the heat had finally gotten to the creature, evaporating the last traces of life from its eyes. When she looked over her shoulder she saw that it was indeed dead, its eyes vacant and hazy as a file landed on it. She flicked the pest away with her hand before looking back at Tao.

'You look refreshed. Have you been out fishing today?

Tao fiddled with the string of his hat, his smile working its way into the light subject.

'No… I meant to but… I had a long nap instead.' His fingers ferreted beneath the small pebbles that lined the shore and climbed up the slight incline, digging a little hole and scattering the stones, some falling back to their refreshing home beneath the water's face. 'Did you just get here?'

'I've been here for a while,' she admitted, closing her eyes and falling against the rock again. It was beginning to heat up. 'Did you come out to fish?'

A long pause swelled between them, barred only by the sound of flowing water from silence. After a minute or two, Akari opened her eyes, curious what her friend was doing.

Tao was just where he had been, leaning against his one hand, although the other had slid up and was ruffling his hair. He looked somewhat confused, as though Akari had just spoken another language. His eyes were turned to the water, focused there, as though something had caught his eye. Akari followed his gaze, but didn't even see the shadow of a fish beneath the water.

'Tao?' came her voice, lightly intrigued. 'Are you alright?'

His movements were slow and distant, as though he were lost in a dream. When at last he was looking at her he muttered an, 'I'm fine,' but his eyes would not fall from hers. Feeling slightly uncomfortable Akari smiled, pulling her feet up to her chest and latching onto them with her dusty hands. The heat made sitting this way uncomfortable, but she couldn't help herself.

'Um... I was thinking of going back and catching a few more fish...? Would you, uh, would like to join me? We haven't been fishing together for a while.'

With a relaxed smile flushing over his face Tao nodded, pushing himself off the ground. Akari followed suite, rocking herself up and then bouncing down toward the river, trying to regain her normal self. Fishing rod in hand, Akari began to plod through the current until she was once more where she had been standing. She was about to cast when she realized Tao was still on shore.

'Are you coming?' shouted the girl knee high in water. Tao smiled sheepishly and waved his hand at her, saying he would be out in a minute. 'Suite yourself,' Akari muttered, shaking her head and smiling.

For several minutes she fished by herself, only catching bits of what Tao was doing on shore. One minute he looked like he was baiting his lure, the next he seemed to be taking a nap, but soon, Akari did not see anything but the water and the line disappearing into the rips and tears across the waving plastic-blue river.

Tao was no longer there. Nor was the sky, nor the sun, nor the people, nor her farm: all there was was Akari and the water and the heat and humidity of the world. Something nipped at her line and she followed it, her consciousness sinking to the bottom of the river, watching a fish as it slid back and forth in front of the lure before turning its back on her and slipping further downstream, where there were bugs aplenty. She surfaced and sighed lightly, pulling in her line to see if she might get another bite elsewhere.

Just as Akari was about to yell out to Tao that nothing was biting here and they might be better off fishing elsewhere two vines wound around her stomach, causing her to jump and let out a small scream. Her head whipped around only to find Tao's pink face next to hers.

'T-Tao?'

Two fluorescent green eyes were peeled back, showing that he was just as surprised as she was. He stuttered something and pulled his shoulders, but he couldn't seem to move his hands from her waist. Akari's face burst into flame, and she stumbled through sentences until at last she came across the one she wanted: 'What are you doing?' Her voice was broken, soft as a leaf dislodged from its branch falling toward the ground, and her eyes were wide as a child's.

'I-Er...' His hands dropped down to settle just below her stomach, sitting there like a rock. He sighed, turning his head from her face and settling it against the back of her neck. 'I like you...' muttered the fisherman against her bare shoulder.

Akari was stunned to say the least. But instead of returning his sentiments or denying him she said, 'You make it awfully hard to cast.'

Tao pulled away, huffing with confusion, but he didn't move and she still couldn't cast her line. Feeling him there Akari turned around. The fisherman's eyes popped open, flashing bright green against the misty waters in the distance. Akari was smiling widely at him, as open to him as she was to the river and sky.

Tao smiled back, his normal warmth and friendliness returning, opening himself to her in return.


End file.
